State Board of Cosmetology Requirements by State

Beauty licensing by state

Compare Cosmetology, Nail Technician and Esthetician Requirements

Training hours and exam requirements for cosmetology, nail technician and esthetician licenses in all 51 US jurisdictions, each traced to the board, statute or rule that states it.

Hours and exam requirements are recorded for every jurisdiction. 89 state and trade combinations have a full guide with fees, exam format and cited sources; the rest are still being verified and are not linked.

Practice with a plan

Choose your license path, then practice the matching written exam

Use the state table to confirm the license route, then start with free questions for the course you actually need.

900+ questionsCosmetologyHair, skin, nails, infection control, chemistry and state law.Try 10 free questions →700+ questionsNail TechnicianSanitation, nail anatomy, manicure, pedicure, acrylic, gel and wraps.Try 10 free questions →500+ questionsEstheticianSkin science, infection control, facials, hair removal, makeup and machines.Try 10 free questions →

All jurisdictions

Compare training hours and guide status

Cells marked Full guide open a verified state/trade guide. Cells marked Guide verifying keep the hour figure visible while deeper exam, fee and renewal facts are still under review.

StateCosmetologyNail TechnicianEsthetician
Alabama1,500 hrsFull guide →750 hrsFull guide →1,000 hrsFull guide →
Alaska1,650 hrsGuide verifying250 hrsGuide verifying350 hrsGuide verifying
Arizona1,500 hrsFull guide →600 hrsFull guide →600 hrsFull guide →
Arkansas1,500 hrsFull guide →600 hrsFull guide →600 hrsFull guide →
California1,000 hrsFull guide →400 hrsFull guide →600 hrsFull guide →
Colorado1,500 hrsGuide verifying600 hrsGuide verifying600 hrsGuide verifying
Connecticut1,500 hrsFull guide →100 hrsFull guide →600 hrsFull guide →
Delaware1,500 hrsGuide verifying300 hrsGuide verifying600 hrsGuide verifying
Florida1,200 hrsFull guide →180 hrsFull guide →220 hrsFull guide →
Georgia1,500 hrsFull guide →525 hrsFull guide →1,000 hrsFull guide →
Hawaii1,800 hrsFull guide →350 hrsFull guide →600 hrsFull guide →
Idaho1,600 hrsGuide verifying400 hrsGuide verifying600 hrsGuide verifying
Illinois1,500 hrsFull guide →350 hrsFull guide →750 hrsFull guide →
Indiana1,500 hrsFull guide →450 hrsFull guide →700 hrsFull guide →
Iowa1,550 hrsFull guide →325 hrsFull guide →600 hrsFull guide →
Kansas1,500 hrsFull guide →350 hrsFull guide →1,000 hrsFull guide →
Kentucky1,500 hrsGuide verifying450 hrsGuide verifying750 hrsGuide verifying
Louisiana1,500 hrsGuide verifying500 hrsGuide verifying750 hrsGuide verifying
Maine1,500 hrsGuide verifying200 hrsGuide verifying600 hrsGuide verifying
Maryland1,500 hrsFull guide →250 hrsFull guide →600 hrsFull guide →
Massachusetts1,000 hrsGuide verifying100 hrsGuide verifying600 hrsGuide verifying
Michigan1,500 hrsFull guide →400 hrsFull guide →400 hrsFull guide →
Minnesota1,550 hrsFull guide →350 hrsFull guide →600 hrsFull guide →
Mississippi1,000 hrsGuide verifying400 hrsGuide verifying600 hrsGuide verifying
Missouri1,500 hrsGuide verifying400 hrsGuide verifying750 hrsGuide verifying
Montana2,000 hrsGuide verifying400 hrsGuide verifying650 hrsGuide verifying
Nebraska1,800 hrsFull guide →300 hrsGuide verifying600 hrsFull guide →
Nevada1,600 hrsFull guide →600 hrsFull guide →600 hrsFull guide →
New Hampshire1,500 hrsGuide verifying300 hrsGuide verifying600 hrsGuide verifying
New Jersey1,200 hrsGuide verifying300 hrsGuide verifying600 hrsGuide verifying
New Mexico1,600 hrsFull guide →400 hrsFull guide →600 hrsFull guide →
New York1,000 hrsFull guide →250 hrsFull guide →600 hrsFull guide →
North Carolina1,500 hrsFull guide →300 hrsFull guide →600 hrsFull guide →
North Dakota1,500 hrsFull guide →350 hrsFull guide →600 hrsFull guide →
Ohio1,500 hrsFull guide →200 hrsFull guide →600 hrsFull guide →
Oklahoma1,500 hrsFull guide →600 hrsFull guide →600 hrsFull guide →
Oregon1,110 hrsFull guide →241 hrsFull guide →444 hrsFull guide →
Pennsylvania1,250 hrsFull guide →200 hrsFull guide →300 hrsFull guide →
Rhode Island1,000 hrsGuide verifying300 hrsGuide verifying600 hrsGuide verifying
South Carolina1,500 hrsFull guide →300 hrsFull guide →450 hrsFull guide →
South Dakota1,500 hrsFull guide →400 hrsFull guide →600 hrsFull guide →
Tennessee1,500 hrsFull guide →600 hrsFull guide →750 hrsFull guide →
Texas1,000 hrsFull guide →600 hrsFull guide →750 hrsFull guide →
Utah1,250 hrsGuide verifying300 hrsGuide verifying600 hrsGuide verifying
Vermont1,500 hrsGuide verifying250 hrsGuide verifying600 hrsGuide verifying
Virginia1,000 hrsGuide verifying150 hrsGuide verifying600 hrsGuide verifying
Washington1,600 hrsFull guide →600 hrsFull guide →750 hrsFull guide →
Washington D.C.1,500 hrsGuide verifying350 hrsGuide verifying600 hrsGuide verifying
West Virginia2,000 hrsGuide verifying400 hrsGuide verifying600 hrsGuide verifying
Wisconsin1,550 hrsGuide verifying300 hrsGuide verifying450 hrsGuide verifying
Wyoming2,000 hrsGuide verifying400 hrsGuide verifying600 hrsGuide verifying

Alaska

Cosmetology
1,650 hrsGuide verifying
Nail Technician
250 hrsGuide verifying
Esthetician
350 hrsGuide verifying

Colorado

Cosmetology
1,500 hrsGuide verifying
Nail Technician
600 hrsGuide verifying
Esthetician
600 hrsGuide verifying

Delaware

Cosmetology
1,500 hrsGuide verifying
Nail Technician
300 hrsGuide verifying
Esthetician
600 hrsGuide verifying

Idaho

Cosmetology
1,600 hrsGuide verifying
Nail Technician
400 hrsGuide verifying
Esthetician
600 hrsGuide verifying

Kentucky

Cosmetology
1,500 hrsGuide verifying
Nail Technician
450 hrsGuide verifying
Esthetician
750 hrsGuide verifying

Louisiana

Cosmetology
1,500 hrsGuide verifying
Nail Technician
500 hrsGuide verifying
Esthetician
750 hrsGuide verifying

Maine

Cosmetology
1,500 hrsGuide verifying
Nail Technician
200 hrsGuide verifying
Esthetician
600 hrsGuide verifying

Massachusetts

Cosmetology
1,000 hrsGuide verifying
Nail Technician
100 hrsGuide verifying
Esthetician
600 hrsGuide verifying

Mississippi

Cosmetology
1,000 hrsGuide verifying
Nail Technician
400 hrsGuide verifying
Esthetician
600 hrsGuide verifying

Missouri

Cosmetology
1,500 hrsGuide verifying
Nail Technician
400 hrsGuide verifying
Esthetician
750 hrsGuide verifying

Montana

Cosmetology
2,000 hrsGuide verifying
Nail Technician
400 hrsGuide verifying
Esthetician
650 hrsGuide verifying

New Hampshire

Cosmetology
1,500 hrsGuide verifying
Nail Technician
300 hrsGuide verifying
Esthetician
600 hrsGuide verifying

New Jersey

Cosmetology
1,200 hrsGuide verifying
Nail Technician
300 hrsGuide verifying
Esthetician
600 hrsGuide verifying

Rhode Island

Cosmetology
1,000 hrsGuide verifying
Nail Technician
300 hrsGuide verifying
Esthetician
600 hrsGuide verifying

Utah

Cosmetology
1,250 hrsGuide verifying
Nail Technician
300 hrsGuide verifying
Esthetician
600 hrsGuide verifying

Vermont

Cosmetology
1,500 hrsGuide verifying
Nail Technician
250 hrsGuide verifying
Esthetician
600 hrsGuide verifying

Virginia

Cosmetology
1,000 hrsGuide verifying
Nail Technician
150 hrsGuide verifying
Esthetician
600 hrsGuide verifying

Washington D.C.

Cosmetology
1,500 hrsGuide verifying
Nail Technician
350 hrsGuide verifying
Esthetician
600 hrsGuide verifying

West Virginia

Cosmetology
2,000 hrsGuide verifying
Nail Technician
400 hrsGuide verifying
Esthetician
600 hrsGuide verifying

Wisconsin

Cosmetology
1,550 hrsGuide verifying
Nail Technician
300 hrsGuide verifying
Esthetician
450 hrsGuide verifying

Wyoming

Cosmetology
2,000 hrsGuide verifying
Nail Technician
400 hrsGuide verifying
Esthetician
600 hrsGuide verifying

Source policy

How this is verified

Every hour figure comes from the state board, statute or administrative rule that sets it. The 89 published guides cite 273 official documents between them, each recorded with the date it was read. A figure that could not be traced to an official document is shown as unavailable rather than estimated, so a blank means unverified, not zero.

Most recent verification: 2026-08-08.

Licensing rules change. Confirm anything that affects your application with your state board before you rely on it.

Common questions

Beauty license requirements FAQ

Which beauty licenses are compared on this page?
This page compares cosmetology, nail technician and esthetician requirements across all 50 states and Washington D.C.
Do training hours vary by state?
Yes. Training-hour requirements can differ widely by state and by license type, which is why the table keeps each trade in its own column.
Does every state require a written exam?
Most states require a written or theory exam, but exam format, vendor, language availability, fees and practical-exam rules vary by state. The full guides publish only details backed by official sources.
Why are some full guides not linked yet?
The table shows owner-verified hour figures for every jurisdiction, but a full guide is linked only after the deeper page record has approved official sources. The current approved guide count is 89 of 153.
Should I study before or after completing school hours?
Use the state guide first to confirm your path, then start free written-exam practice. Completing school hours makes you eligible; practice helps you prepare for the theory test itself.
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